Gymnasium mats



May 16, 1967 L. SOLIN GYMNASIUM MATS Filed July 20, 1964 INVENTOR. Lawrence Solin by Sparrow cmd Sparrow ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,319,273 GYMNASIUM MATS Lawrence Solin, 16 Dell Drive, Eastchester, NY. 10709 Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,732

3 Claims. (Cl. 344) This invention relates to gymnasium mats such as are used for physical exercise, and particularly for mats which are constructed as units or as modules for being connected together to provide larger assemblies as the case may be.

Mats for physical training and exercise are known as necessary equipment in gymnasiums and the like halls, but the heretofore existing conventional mats were heavy and cumbersome to handle. The novel mat according to the present invention is an entirely new approach to the problem of resilient, shock-absorbing floor covering for the above-mentioned purposes. The invention consists in the novel parts, construction arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described. Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new, relatively light-weight mat unit which is adapted and capable of being combined with the like units into larger assemblies as required.

It is another object of the present invention to provide novel means for locking the mat units together without exposing the locking seam.

A further object of the invention is to provide gymnasium mat units which can be put together into larger assemblies without overlapping or without accident-pro ducing gaps between same.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a light-weight mat unit that can be handled easily and expeditiously.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mat unit that is sturdy and resistant against wear and tear.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention. In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in perspective, assembled mat units according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows foldable mat unit, partly broken away, for storing purposes;

FIG. 3 illustrates on an enlarged scale the structure of assembly of adjacent mat units, partly broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the seam portion of adjacent mat units, partly broken away, taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is shown in FIG. 1, in persepctive, a gymnasium mat assembly which includes mat units 11, 17, 18. Each mat unit may comprise two parts or sections 12 and 13 -(as indicated with reference to mat unit 11) joined together by a strip of suitable fabric or plastic 14 forming a strong hinge for folding the mat unit when not in use and for storing purposes. At the transverse ends of mat units 11, 17, 18 are secured as by means of sewing, strips of material containing mating complementary fastener elements, for example, slide fasteners known as zippers, or any other suitable complementary fastener means. These strips are sewed onto the top of the that units in such manner that one complement slide fastener strip 15 is attached to one transverse end of mat unit 11, and another corresponding complement slide fastener strip 16 is attached to the transverse end of an adjacent that unit, such as 17, 18 respectively. The complementary slide fastener elements are indicated by the references 15, 16'. Thus, it is possible to join mat units 17 and 18 with mat unit 11 by means of the complementary slide fasteners, in order to extend and enlarge the mat area, if necessary, for training and/ or exercising purposes.

The special construction of attachment of the slide fastener strips 15, 16 makes provision for the attainment of two important features, namely, to provide strong reinforcements of the ends of the mat units so that the zipper connection could withstand the stresses produced with the use of the mats and to conceal the connecting elements of the slide fastener under a strong layer of plastic or fabric in order to protect the users from being abrased or injured.

The construction is shown in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. Mat units 11, 17, 18 each basically consists of any one of the known resilient materials, for example, those known under the generic names of foam rubber and foam plastic, having an overall cover of tough, wearand-tear-resistant fabric or vinyl or other suitable plastic 19. Adjacent a transverse end of mat unit 18, a reinforcing strip 20 of suitable fabric or plastic is positioned underneath cover 19. The end of the mat unit is slightly depressed for permitting attachment of another strip 21 similar to strip 20 in such manner that strip 21 is positioned above strip 20 and that all three layers, namely, 19, 20 and 21 are secured together as by sewing, thus forming a strong reinforcement of the transverse end of mat unit 18. Due to the slightly depressed edge, the reinforcement does not substantially increase the thickness of mat unit 18; preferably strip 21 is a double layer. Strip 15 carrying the slide fastener element 15' on the underside thereof is sewed or otherwise fastened in such manner that it is substantially or entirely covered by strip 21.

The mating edge of section 12 of mat unit 11 is constructed and reinforced in a manner similar to that of the end of adjacent mat unit 18. Below cover 22 is a reinforcement strip 23. The transverse end of section 12 of mat unit 11 is slightly depressed similarly to that with respect to mat 18. Strip 24 is laid over cover 22 and above strip 23-, and all three layers, namely, 22, 23 and 24 are firmly secured together as by sewing. Strip 16 carrying the fastener element 16' is secured to the free underside of strip 24.

When the transverse ends of mat units 12 and 18 are in abutment, strips 15 and 16 can be joined together by means of interlocking engagement of their corresponding complementary fastener elements or teeth 15', 16 through operation of the conventional slide 27, so that a strong seam is obtained which is flush with the top faces of mat units 12 and 18, and which is well covered by the overlying strips 21 and 24. Thus, the hazard of injury to the user of the mat, which may be caused by gaps between adjacent mat units and by sharp edges of the fastener elements, is eliminated.

Means, such as for example, D-shaped rings 25 secured by fabric loops 26, are spaced apart on the sides of the mat units. adjacent mat units together.

for suspending from a wall the folded mat units for storing or similar purposes.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim:

1. A gymnasium mat comprising at least two substantially rectangular mat units, said units having transverse ends, each of said units comprising a flexible resilient filler, a casing for said filler, first reinforcing means underneath said casing along each of said ends, second reinforcing means at the top of said casing and above said first reinforcing means, said casing, said first and said second reinforcing means being secured to each other,

and complementary slide fastener means permanently 2O fixed to the underside of said second reinforcing means, said slide fastener means being covered by said second reinforcing means.

2. A gymnasium mat according to claim 1, wherein each of said units comprises a pair of sections, said sections being permanently hingedly joined together at an adjacent end of each thereof whereby said sections may be folded one over the other.

3. A gymnasium mat according to claim 2, and having at least two substantially ring-shaped elements attached to each one of the lateral sides of said units for lashing a plurality of said units together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,776 9/1915 Joseph "5-357 1,400,355 12/1921 Freese 5-445 2,528,768 11/1950 Marsh 5-352X 2,617,143 11/1952 Blake 5--345X 2,706,821 4/1955 Griggs 5 357 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GYMNASIUM MAT COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR MAT UNITS, SAID UNITS HAVING TRANSVERSE ENDS, EACH OF SAID UNITS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE RESILIENT FILLER, A CASING FOR SAID FILLER, FIRST REINFORCING MEANS UNDERNEATH SAID CASING ALONG EACH OF SAID ENDS, SECOND REINFORCING MEANS AT THE TOP OF SAID CASING AND ABOVE SAID FIRST REINFORCING MEANS BEING SECURED TO EACH OTHER, SECOND REINFORCING MEANS BEING SECURED TO EACH OTHER, AND COMPLEMENTARY SLIDE FASTENER MEANS PERMANENTLY FIXED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID SECOND REINFORCING MEANS, SAID SLIDE FASTENER MEANS BEING COVERED BY SAID SECOND REINFORCING MEANS. 